James Cameron Plots 17-Day Movie Sprint With Robert Rodriguez

You know James Cameron—the guy who somehow convinced us all to care about Na'vi and the planet Pandora for literally decades? Apparently, he’s getting a little antsy. After pouring thirty years (!) into making maybe three of the most technologically ambitious films ever with the whole Avatar saga, Cameron is now itching to do the exact opposite: make a movie at warp speed.

And this isn’t just talk. Cameron was chatting on the Empire podcast, mostly about his latest project (a Billie Eilish 3D concert doc, which is honestly a left turn in itself), but then he dropped a hilariously unexpected tidbit: he’s in serious discussions with his pal Robert Rodriguez about cooking up an ultra-fast, super lean movie.

Let’s just stop and appreciate the contrast here. Cameron—who once took over a decade between sequels and whose films usually need the GDP of a small country to produce—wants to try making a movie in about two and a half weeks. Here’s what he said:

'Robert Rodriguez and I are talking about doing something that’s so blindingly fast that, you know, we’re just going to do the whole thing in like 17 days. Because I really like the experience on "Hit Me Hard and Soft." I shot a whole movie in six days. I’m like, what the f*** takes four years?'

If you know anything about Robert Rodriguez, this makes perfect sense. Rodriguez basically built his career on speed and efficiency (remember El Mariachi? He shot it for peanuts and in almost no time). Since Titanic hit theaters in 1997, Cameron has directed just three movies (if you leave out documentaries). Rodriguez? He’s released eighteen. The dude is a machine.

No word yet on what this joint project would actually be—don't expect to see Rodriguez's mariachi in Pandora or anything wild like that—but the idea of two guys with almost opposite filmmaking rhythms collaborating should be something to watch, if just for the chaos factor.

The Avatar Situation (a.k.a. 'Only' $1.4 Billion is a Letdown Now)

This sudden urge to do something quick might also have something to do with the current Avatar situation—because yes, there actually is an Avatar situation. The last film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, made $1.4 billion worldwide, which is an absurd pile of money. Except, by Avatar standards, it’s a step down: the original film made $2.9 billion, and The Way of Water pulled in $2.3 billion. So, not bad—but in Cameron’s world, it’s apparently a cause for concern.

As for the future of Avatar, it’s a bit cloudy. Cameron’s already shot chunks of Avatar 4 and 5 (these movies are planned further out than most people's retirement), but whether those sequels actually happen depends on box office performance. Cameron himself has addressed this head-on, promising fans that if he can’t finish the story as planned, he'll hold a press conference and just tell everyone how it was going to end. (Honestly, that sounds like a movie itself.)

'I don’t know if the saga goes beyond this point. I hope it does. But, you know, we prove that business case every time we go out… If we don’t get to make 4 and 5, for whatever reason, I’ll hold a press conference and I’ll tell you what we were gonna do. How’s that?'

What Else is Cameron Up To?

Now, for anyone who’s tired of endless blue people and 12-year CGI render times, there is hope. Cameron does have other projects simmering, including something called Ghosts of Hiroshima, a film called The Devils, and yes, a potential new Terminator movie. (If the guy who made T2 wants to give us more killer robots, let him cook.)

• Ghosts of Hiroshima – Details are scarce, but expect something on the serious, historical side
• The Devils – Another mystery, but definitely not set on Pandora
• New Terminator – Not confirmed, but if it happens, it’ll almost certainly attract a crowd

At this point, the movie world could really use Cameron doing something bold, weird, and (almost) spontaneous. If his '17 day challenge' with Rodriguez comes together, it’ll be fascinating to watch—if only to see what Cameron’s creative brain does when he can’t spend a decade fine-tuning the color of the water.